Children Who Play Sports Have Better Eating Habits
Adolescents who play sports have better eating habits and nutrient intake than those who do not, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.

Eating habits and nutrient intake are two important factors that contribute to performance in sports. The need for adequate energy and nutrients is especially important for adolescents, since their total nutrient needs are higher than during any other time in their lives, and participating in sports can increase energy and nutrient requirements even more.

More than 4,700 junior high and high school students were studied for their meal and snack frequency, energy and nutrient intake and physical activity. The researchers found "sport-involved youth generally ate breakfast more frequently and had higher mean protein, calcium, iron and zinc intakes than their non-sport involved peers."

According to the researchers, "These findings, like others, support a positive association between adolescent sport participation and health."

Children and Young Adults with Diabetes Do Not Meet Nutrition Recommendations
Fewer than half of children and young adults who took part in a national multi-center study of young people with diabetes meet current dietary recommendations for many nutrients, potentially making treatment and management of their diabetes much more difficult, according to researchers at the University of South Carolina and other institutions.

The researchers analyzed at the nutrient intakes of nearly 1,700 10-to-22-year-olds who took part in the five-year nationwide SEARCH for
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Contact: Julia Dombrowski
media@eatright.org
312-899-4769
American Dietetic Association
1-May-2006